A recoil starter may have a ratchet mechanism (for example, see JP-2012-132430-A and JP-2014-132159-A). In such recoil starter, a rope reel rotates in an engine starting direction by pulling a recoil rope. When the rope reel rotates in the engine starting direction, a ratchet provided thereon swings to the outer diameter direction to be engaged with the driving pulley, so that the rotation of the rope reel can be transmitted to the engine side. When the recoil rope is released, the rope reel rotates in a direction opposite to the engine starting direction by restoring force of a recoil spiral spring or the like, the ratchet swings to the inner diameter direction to be disengaged from the driving pulley so that the rotation on the engine side is not transmitted to the rope reel side after the engine starts. A spring may be used to retract the ratchet, that is, the spring may be disposed to push back the ratchet to the inner diameter direction when the recoil rope is released.
After the ratchet has been pushed back to the inner diameter direction by the urging force of the spring, force may be unintentionally exerted on the ratchet due to vibration or the like, and the ratchet may be unintentionally moved. If the ratchet is unintentionally moved and engaged with the driving pulley, the ratchet may be damaged or broken.